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Gabriel Gonzalez-Acevedo's Mythology Project 2
CLAS 1020 Project 1. Danae, Perseus, and Chest Early Greek Myth, pg. 302 Boston 03.792 Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA) Online LIMC: http://www.iconiclimc.ch/visitors/imageview.php?source=139&image_id=30927&term=boston+03.792&modus=1 Beazley Database: http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/xdb/ASP/recordDetails.asp?recordCount=3&start=0 2.' Perseus and the Graiai' Early Greek Myth, pg. 306 Athens 1291 National Archaeological Museum (Athens, Greece) Online LIMC: http://www.iconiclimc.ch/visitors/imageview.php? source=139&image_id=11458&term=athens+1291&modus=1 3. Perseus and Andromeda Early Greek Myth, pg. 308 Berlin PM F1652 Pergamon-Museum (Berlin, Germany) Online LIMC: http://www.iconiclimc.ch/visitors/imageview.php?source=139&image_id=5206&term=berlin+f+1652&modus=1 Assessment of Danae, Perseus, and Chest This image is of an attic red-figure hydria. The vase is estimated to have been created around 475 to 425 B.C.E. The vase depicts Akrisios and two women standing over a chest. Inside the chest is Danae and the child, Perseus. In the myth of Perseus, According to Gantz, Akrisios has a daughter, Danae. Afterwards, Akrisios goes to Delphi to find out if he will have a son and learns that he will not. Instead, he learns that Danae will have a son who will kill Akrisios. Akrisios then constructs a prison for Danae so that she cannot become pregnant. Eventually, Zeus visits her in the form of a golden shower and impregnates her. She has a son, Perseus, who is eventually discovered by Akrisios. Akrisios does not believe that Zeus is the father and decides to lock Perseus and Danae in a chest and throw them into the sea. The vase depicts the scene where Perseus and Danae are being put into the chest by Akrisios. The image on the vase seems to be consistent with literary sources. There is no deviation in the story. Akrisios is shown being present while Perseus and Danae are about to be locked in the chest. The only difference between this vase and other artistic pieces is the point of progression in the myth. Other sources depict the point before they are put into the chest and while they are at sea. Still, according to Gantz, there are no sources contradicting the image of the vase. The image on the vase seems to be appropriate for representing the myth. The first thing that stuck out to me was the number of people present. You can identify Danae and Perseus since they are the ones in the chest. You can, also, identify Akrisios because he is wearing fine robes and a crown. The two women in the middle seem to throw it off, however. There seems to be ambiguity on who they are. Is one of them Danae's mother? Is the other one a nurse? There does not seem to be a definitive answer. However, perhaps the point of them being there is not who they are but how their presence affects the appearance of the others. I found it interesting that the two women were in between Akrisios and the chest as if purposely separating them. Their presence makes it feel like there is a physical and perhaps metaphorical space between Akrisios and Danae. I, also, like the depiction of Danae and Perseus. Despite being thrown to their possible deaths in the sea, Danae is not focused on Akrisios. Instead, she is focused on Perseus. I feel like this really emphasizes her role as the mother of Perseus. Even in the face of danger, she only cares about her son. References: Gantz, Timothy. "Perseus and Bellephrontes." ''Early Greek Myth. ''Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Univ., 1996. Print.